Boereboontjies
Green beans, potato and onion boiled together in salted water, then mashed with a scandalous amount of butter. Three ingredients, one pot, and every South African Sunday lunch memory you've ever had.
Boereboontjies is one of those dishes that doesn't need explaining to a South African. It was on the table at Ouma's house alongside the roast, the pap, the potato salad and everything else. Simple, filling, deeply comforting. The name literally means "farmer's beans" and the recipe has barely changed across generations, because why would it. You boil the beans and potatoes together, you mash them with butter, you eat. In the UAE, green beans and potatoes are standard Spinneys and Carrefour stock all year round, so this one is a genuine any-day recipe. Marnella Erasmus of KuierKos calls it a hug in a bowl, and she's not wrong.
Ingredients
- 250 g green beans
- 250 g potatoes
- 125 g white onion
- a generous knob of butter
- salt & pepper, to taste
Method
- Place the green beans, potato and onion in a pot. Cover with salted water and bring to the boil.
- Cover with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are completely soft and mash-ready.
- Drain well through a colander, then return everything to the pot.
- Add a generous knob of butter and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Mash together until you have a chunky, cosy mix. Don't over-mash. Some texture is the point.
- Taste and adjust salt. Serve immediately alongside a roast, a braai, or a fried egg if it's just you.
Notes
Method
- Place green beans, potato and onion in a pot. Cover with salted water and bring to the boil.
- Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are mash-soft.
- Drain well, then return to the pot.
- Add a generous knob of butter and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Mash to a chunky, cosy consistency. Don't overdo it.
- Taste, adjust salt, and serve.
Instapot: add 1 cup of water, a pinch of salt and cook on high for 5 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Serve next to a roast, a braai, pork chops or a boerewors roll. Also excellent all by itself in a big bowl with a fork.